Motivation is a key component of progress in our lives. I have a few tips on how to increase motivation toward your goals. These tips are good for many cases of demotivation and may serve you well!
Where did the Motivation go?
The point at which we started to slow down or become disinterested on a particular goal or project is not always clear. In fact, I find it can be quite sneaky and I’ll suddenly notice that something has changed. Progress is slow for some reason, and I need to address it.
A powerful demotivator is the perception of a lack of progress. Not seeing the scale move after weeks of dieting can cause some problems. People might more often “cheat” and begin to reverse their progress. Similarly with other projects where one might have a time-based goal, issues conspire to force a change of completion. Having to keep moving the completion date can make the project seem like it’ll never get done.
There are many unforeseen issues that can sap our motivation. The quality of one’s health has a strong impact on motivation. Allergies run rampant in my family and there is no distraction like a chronic stuffy head. Not getting enough sleep also can create a lack of interest in working on your goals. Health issues can be powerful barriers to sustaining motivation.
“Why are you working on that? You know it’ll never work.” Comments like that, especially ones that are persistent make any project difficult. Even more so when they come from people you might look up to or are above you in some way. If they are not baselessly criticizing the goal, they are harshly commenting on the method.
Have you had a project or goal that had a long timeline and a lot of steps to complete to the point it was overwhelming? This is another situation where someone can be frozen from making progress. The sheer scope is so large that one can just feel exhausted by trying to figure out the next step.
Where can we get Motivation?
There are many strategies to tackle these and the many other issues that I did not list. Having multiple ways to tackle an issue can bring confidence. These strategies can fill your toolbox to break through a blockage. What follows is some of my solutions to increase motivation and get through these challenges.
The first one is to re-evaluate your goal. If you are just not seeing the progress you expect, it may be that the process should be changed. Taking a step back to evaluate this can be helpful. Likewise with a project or goal which seems overwhelming. Breaking the process into smaller steps or grouping together related tasks can help. You can then tackle the groups one at a time, shortening your immediate to-do list.
Next, you should try and get some accountability which is going to be helpful. Find a friend or family member willing to check in with you and ask you about your project. You will want someone who genuinely wants to see you happy and successful. Criticism should not be avoided of course, but it should be constructive and delivered in a helpful way.
Any goal or project must be measured for success. Improving or adding measurements to your efforts can help stimulate motivation. Seeing progress toward a goal often builds its own motivation because we want to be successful. You can add a simple “percentage complete” gauge to your efforts. Calculate the number of items you will need to have a successful project and keep track with a dashboard. Keep it updated daily or weekly to clearly see your progress.
Lastly, in support of our mental and physical health, we should try and change our routines. Get to sleep a little earlier, try a sleep hygiene routine, or get a new pillow. Do something to address your health with a doctor or specialist. You might have to keep closer tabs on what you are eating or your activity. This might reveal some allergy or health triggers that you can adjust for and improve your health.
Summary
In review, here are the key points on how to increase motivation:
- Re-evaluate your goal.
- Get some great accountability.
- Build in some measurement.
- Change your routine.
There are many other resources available to address the challenges you are having. If you want to consider a coach or mastermind group. These can offer solutions like the above and many others specific to the challenges you are having.
I hope you enjoyed my post about working to increase motivation. Have you used these tactics before? Is there something that really worked for you? I’d love to hear about it! Thank you for reading!